Last year, both State Bird Provisions and AQ notched places on the high-profile list, and this year, the only Bay Area representative is Michael Chiarello‘s San Francisco restaurant Coqueta, which Mariani describes as a “shadowy waterfront place has a bighearted buzz.”

But the highest honors went to Chiarello himself. The Napa Valley veteran earned Chef of the Year status. Mariani writes:

Back in the 1980s, Michael Chiarello pioneered what came to be known as Cal-Ital cuisine (that’s Cal-ifor-nia and Ital-y) at Tra Vigne, his Napa Valley restaurant. He went on to become one of the most consistently rewarding TV chefs, so much so that he disappeared from restaurants for a while. With nothing more to prove, Chiarello has turned his attention to the traditional foods of Spain, whose tapas bars and restaurantes inspired Coqueta, now open on the Embarcadero. For it, and for decades of innovative, irresistible food, Chiarello is Esquire’s Chef of the Year.

Other honorees included Betony in New York, which was named Restaurant of the Year; and for what it’s worth, Rolf & Daughters in Nashville is the only crossover with Andrew Knowlton’s Best New Restaurant list for Bon Appetit. For the full list of the 20 spots around the country that Mariani declares the nation’s best new restaurants, head over to Esquire.

· Last Year: Esquire honors State Bird Provisions and AQ as top newcomers, plus Adam Mali and Perbacco [Inside Scoop]